Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Beijing last week precipitated a busy news week as commentators and government officials tried to discern how closer Philippine-Chinese cooperation would affect US-Philippine ties and regional security. Two issues from Duterte’s Beijing visit provoked particular scrutiny: what President Duterte meant when he declared Manila’s “separation from the U.S” and the terms of a possible deal on shared fisheries access at Scarborough Shoal.

Duterte walked back from his “separation” statement almost immediately upon landing in Manila, saying that he was only talking about “separation of foreign policy” and “not severance of ties . . . I cannot do that.” He went on to assert that, “It’s in the best interest of my countrymen to maintain that relationship” and reassured reporters that “there should be no worry about changes of alliances.”

Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay reflected a similar sentiment, but noted that Manila would still reject a “mindset of dependency and subservience.” President Duterte may have an expansive understanding of what this rejection might entail. Early in the week he declared that “maybe in the next two years, my country [will be] free of the presence of foreign military troops,” referencing US forces currently in the Philippines. Duterte also said that the United States could “forget” about their more recent bilateral defense agreement if he “stayed longer” (it is unclear what he meant by this term). US State Department spokesperson John Kirby responded that Washington is “going to take the long view” and not “react and respond to every bit of rhetoric.”

Additional details about President Duterte and President Xi’s discussions on fisheries access at Scarborough Shoal released this week, however, suggest that we should not be too quick to assume that Manila is aligning with Beijing. While Duterte said that, “I’ll leave it to the Chinese authorities, what they will do in the next few days,” it is unclear whether Manila and Beijing have arrived at a modus vivendi on fisheries access. Philippine representative Harry Roque Jr. revealed that no formal agreement was signed regarding Scarborough Shoal “because there was disagreement on the use of words.” China, apparently, wanted to “allow” or “permit” Philippine access and the Philippines wanted to “recognize” Scarborough as “traditional fishing grounds,” borrowing language from this summer’s arbitral decision. The tribunal found that both Chinese and Filipino fishermen have historic rights to fish in and around Scarborough Shoal, though the Chinese Coast Guard currently denies Philippine vessels access to the area.

President Duterte’s visit to Tokyo further complicated the region’s strategic calculus. Though Manila initially insisted that the South China Sea issues would not be discussed, they inevitably came to dominate the trip. President Duterte began by saying, perhaps less than plausibly, that talks with Beijing on disputes in the South China Sea “could be multilateral, and that would include Japan.”

Duterte later assured Prime Minister Abe that “You can rest assured, and I give you my word, that we would stand by you when the time comes” and repeatedly asserted that the Philippines would not enter into a military alliance with China. Sources indicate that Abe told Duterte that US deterrence capabilities are essential to maintaining the rule of law in the South China Sea. By the end of the trip, Tokyo agreed to lease five surveillance aircraft and two large patrol ships to the Philippines, in addition to offering $47.3 million in loans for agricultural business promotion and peace-building in Mindanao, where Duterte once served as mayor. In total, approximately $2 billion in business-to-business deals were signed during the trip.

US and China conduct rival maritime operations in South China Sea

Just as Duterte was finishing up in Beijing, the USS Decatur, a guided missile destroyer, sailed near Chinese-occupied features in the Paracel Islands to challenge “excessive maritime claims” as part of a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP). This is the first FONOP since this summer’s arbitral tribunal ruling. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the Decatur entered Chinese territorial waters “without the approval of the Chinese side.” Julian Ku suggests that this FONOP may have been intended to challenge China’s straight baselines around the Paracels, which the United States deems to have been drawn contrary to the Law of the Sea Convention. Regardless of the justification, Spokesperson Hua “warn[ed] the US to reflect upon its policy” and “stop provocative actions that damage China’s sovereignty, security, and maritime rights.” An opinion piece in the People’s Dailyargued that FONOPs such as this “only highlight China’s necessity to strengthen defense, and activate China’s resolution to improve its capability to safeguard its own interests.”

Which turned out to be a particularly prescient statement. Less than a week later the Chinese Defense Ministry warned all shipping traffic to stay away from an area northwest of the Paracels as it conducted military drills.

In other news...

United States

This week’s FONOP was also notable as the first time that such an operation was conducted without the Japan-based Seventh Fleet in command. The Decatur was instead operated under the San Diego-based Third Fleet, which was only recently authorized to regularly command vessels in the Asia-Pacific to facilitate a quicker operational tempo. For more on the US FONOP program, see this compendium of reports from the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel visited Manila to mend fences and clarify Duterte’s recent statements about the United States. After speaking with Foreign Minister Yasay, Russel said that “it’s a mistake to think that improved relations with China must come at the expense of good relations with the United States” and that “if ‘separation’ means that the government in Manila makes its own foreign policy decisions based on its own assessment of the Filipino national interests then there is no need for a change.”

US Forces Japan announced that sixteen F-35 fighters will be deployed to Japan in 2017. This is unlikely to be met with cheers from Beijing, where Defense Ministry Spokesperson Wu Qian recently accused the Japanese air force of locking radars on Chinese military aircraft, acting provocatively, and endangering safety.

The Philippines
President Duterte’s trip to Beijing and comments about the United States has provoked considerable domestic pushback. First, four senators expressed concern about the potential for abrogating the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and filed a resolution calling for a hearing on the government’s foreign policy. The senators more specifically called for a review of the 13 memoranda of understanding signed in Beijing last week. Former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario called Duterte’s declaration of separation a “national tragedy” and argued that, “we must be with responsible nations with whom we share our core values of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.” Former Senator Sergio Osmeña asserted that Duterte “weakened” Manila’s claim to the South China Sea in negotiations over access to Scarborough Shoal. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who has criticized Duterte in the past, urged the government to correct the President’s statement that China never invaded Philippine territory, pointing to China’s current occupation of Scarborough Shoal.

Vietnam
Hanoi was busy this week with visits from both United States and Chinese delegations. First, Secretary of State John Kerry met with senior officials, including Communist Party Executive Secretary Dinh The Huynh. Kerry told reporters that the United States and Vietnam share a commitment to the rule of law in the South China Sea. Huynh and Kerry also discussed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Hanoi has not put on its domestic agenda for ratification.

The 23rd Chinese naval escort force arrived in Cam Ranh Bay on Friday, where it will remain for five days to promote military-to-military ties. This is the first Chinese naval visit since Vietnam opened an international port facility capable of accommodating visiting warships in Cam Ranh Bay earlier this year.

Indonesia

Reports indicate the President Joko Widodo intends to spearhead a renewed push for a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea between ASEAN member States and China.

Analysis, Commentary, and Additional Information

We start off with two excellent, more general pieces on the region. First, CSISlaunched a new project, “Reconnecting Asia,” that that explores competing geostrategic visions for Asia’s future as understood by China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and Turkey. A great resource for contextualizing much of what is at stake in the South and East China Seas. Second, Greg Austin at The Diplomatcalls on scholars and analysts to be mindful of the potential for groupthink in analyzing China’s foreign policy and military ambitions.

This week’s FONOP generated considerable commentary. Our own Julian Ku provides a thorough primer on its legal import and explores possibilities for further US challenges to Chinese maritime claims. Robert Williams, also at Lawfare, explores how this FONOP impacts Vietnam’s maritime claims in and around the Paracels. Looking ahead, Lynn Kuok at The Wall Street Journalargues that this FONOP may also have important implications for future Chinese activity in the Spratly Islands.

The Global Times, a Chinese periodical, published three fascinating articles this week. First, noted Chinese scholar Shi Yinhong asserts that, “Beijing runs the risk of overreaching and reducing its surplus budget . . . if the focal points of Chinese diplomatic policies are too scattered, or if Beijing fails to calculate the possible risks in the One Belt and One Road initiative and the negative global response toward China’s increasing military power.” Shi calls on China to “hold off” on island building at Scarborough Shoal to prevent such overreach. Shen Dingli is less concerned about “strategic overdraft,” though he still worries that island building at Scarborough Shoal would lead Manila to “turn to the US.” Lastly, Liu Feng underscores the importance of fisheries in the South China Sea dispute and calls for restoring fisheries ecosystems and encouraging fishermen to work in other industries to decrease pressure on a dwindling resource.

Finally, no week would be complete without a heavy dose of Duterte analysis. Max Boot at the Chicago Tribune asserts that Duterte’s warming relationship with Beijing is a disaster for the US pivot to Asia. This perspective finds some support, by no means universal, in Jane Perlez’s survey of Chinese scholars. Picking up on a similar thread, a number of pieces explore how Duterte’s foreign policy may be empowering China in the region. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS presents satellite imagery suggesting that it has become more, not less, difficult for Filipino fishermen to approach Scarborough Shoal. Richard Heydarian at The Straits Times provides an overview of Duterte’s “geopolitical drama on steroids” and warns that other Southeast Asian countries may forego their resistance to Chinese maritime claims. Donald Kirk at the South China Morning Post argues that China is unlikely to offer the kind of military aid that has traditionally been provided by the United States. Finally, peering into the past, John McBeth explores Duterte’s political socialization to trace the roots of his anti-American rhetoric.

Posted to War on the Rocks (Oct 28): The U.S.-Philippine Alliance is Stronger than You Think (By Gregory Poling)

Image: U.S. Marine Corps, Cpl. Hilda Becerra

The U.S.-Philippine alliance is not an agreement between the government of the United States and President Rodrigo Duterte. It is a compact between the peoples of our two countries. Alliances are built on shared interests, but they are strengthened by shared history and values. The Philippines and the United States have all three in spades.

The alliance, formalized in the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, was forged in the shared sacrifices of World War II and continued through wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, as well as the global fight against jihadist terrorism. It evolved from its Cold War roots, through the lean years between the ouster of U.S. forces from bases in the Philippines in 1992 and the signing of the Visiting Forces Agreement in 1998, to a decade-and-a-half of joint operations against terrorists in the southern Philippines, and now a shared commitment to counter the maritime coercion Beijing has brought to bear against Filipino troops and civilians in the South China Sea.

As such, it is understandable that when Duterte announced a “separation” from the United States, both in economic and security relations, most Filipinos were as shocked as their U.S. counterparts. I was in Manila at the time sharing in the disbelief that greeted his proclamation. A break from the United States is not what the people of the Philippines want — a poll published just days before Duterte’s announcement in Beijing found that 76 percent of Filipinos have “much trust” in the United States, more than any other country in the poll, while 55 percent have “little trust” in China. Polling by Pew last year found that an astounding 92 percent of Filipinos have positive views of the United States — higher than any other citizenry in the world — and 71 percent support a greater U.S. military presence in Asia.

The United States is the third-largest trading partner of the Philippines, after Japan and China. It is the number-two investor in the country, providing over one-fifth of foreign direct investment in 2013 while investment from China is negligible. It is also the largest source of remittances to the economy, thanks to the huge Filipino-American community, and a major provider of development assistance. Little wonder then that Duterte’s economic team issued a statement within hours contradicting his pledge of economic separation from the United States.

Within 24 hours of Duterte’s speech in Beijing, he had been publicly rebutted by Philippine senators, respected statesmen, and prominent experts. Almost immediately upon returning to Manila on Friday, he walked back his statement, but the fallout continues. In addition to spooking his own people, Duterte has other international partners deeply worried, including Japan, which said it was seeking clarification from Duterte during his visit to Tokyo this week.

For over three months, the new government in Manila has blindsided American counterparts with a verbal barrage that is clearly at odds with the realities of the U.S.-Philippine alliance. This has caused confusion, hurt feelings, and, in some quarters, anger. But the Obama administration deserves credit for recognizing that, despite the noise, most in the Philippines do not share Duterte’s foreign policy views and will not support an abrogation of our alliance. The United States has responded with calm in the face of the storm, choosing only to reiterate U.S. commitment to the Philippines.

That doesn’t mean that the United States can be complacent. Duterte and his foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay have tried to dredge up historical animosity by referencing inequities during the U.S. colonial administration of the Philippines. Borrowing an offensively paternalistic line from then-governor of the Philippines William Howard Taft, they accuse the United States of treating Filipinos as America’s “little brown brothers.” U.S. officials should take the opportunity to address the darker aspects of our colonial past, recognizing pain caused while refocusing on future cooperation, much as President Obama did in recent speeches in Laos and Vietnam. They can remind both our countries of the obvious — that just as the Philippines has evolved dramatically in the last century, the America that elected Barack Obama is much changed from the America of Taft and Roosevelt.

The United States should also recognize that in the face of consistent Chinese threats, the Philippines has reason to want reassurances about the U.S. commitment to its defense. Duterte has repeatedly questioned American willingness to defend the Philippines. In this he is not representative — the same Pew poll found that 66 percent of Filipinos were confident the United States would come to their aid if they were attacked. And a majority of Americans said the United States absolutely should do so, while only one-third disagreed. Article V of the Mutual Defense Treaty is clear — the United States bears a legal and moral commitment to respond to attacks on Filipino troops or public vessels, whether in the Philippine archipelago or in the disputed waters and reefs of the South China Sea. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt to say so aloud.

The United States shouldn’t be complacent. The Duterte government’s decision to cancel all joint exercises with the U.S. military — roughly 30 a year — will weaken our ability to respond together to external threats and natural disasters in the Philippines. But neither should the United States write off the Philippines by underestimating the strong commitment of its people to our alliance.

Democracies are messy by design, and leaders are elected on domestic, not foreign, policy. Rodrigo Duterte was duly elected with almost 39 percent of the vote. That is a lower vote share than will likely be cast on November 8 for a U.S. candidate deeply skeptical of our alliances. Neither result is in line with the deep-held commitments of our peoples.

[Gregory B. Poling is director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and fellow with the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. The views expressed are solely those of the author.]

In an effort to help sustain peace and order in the province, Sarangani provincial government hosted a trainers’ training on anti-radicalism and anti-drug on October 10-11 at the Capitol in Alabel participated by Asatidz (Madrasah teachers), PNP Salam Council and Muslim policemen and army.

Two Ulama (Islamic scholars) were invited to discuss the Islamic perspective on violent extremism and prohibited drugs.

Proliferation of narcotics is one of the major police concerns in Sarangani. PNP records convey that 127 of the 141 barangays in the province are affected by drugs.

The authorities are also confronted with a problem on a certain local radical youth group wanted for sowing some insurgency in the Western part of the province.

It was reported that this local armed group had pledged allegiance to the ISIS, an extremist Jihadist organization in the Middle East espousing the re-establishment of caliphate.

The resource persons related the origin of ISIS employing terroristic means in Middle Eastern states to achieve its objectives and even killing Muslims unsympathetic to their cause.

They reminded the audiences that “Islam is a religion of unity, and forbids the disunity, which is much caused by extremism.”

“Extremists even kill their two parents who oppose their way of Jihad,” the Aleem said.

“Any substance which has the effect of befogging or clouding the mind, impairing its faculties of thought, perception, and discernment is categorized as an alcohol (khamr),” the lecturer said.

He explained, “Drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, opium, shabu and others are definitely included in the prohibited category of alcohol.”

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Oct 29): Network of Bangsamoro orgs to formulate resolution on right to self-determination and submit to Duterte

A network of Bangsamoro civil society organizations will convene tomorrow (Oct 30) a peace summit to be attended by prominent Bangsamoro leaders to come up with a resolution that will address the Bangsamoro quest for self-determination and forward such proposition to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

The event entitled 2nd Bangsamoro Leaders Peace Summit will be held at Shariff Kabungsuan Cultural Complex at ORG compound in Cotabato City hosted by the League of Bangsamoro Organizations (LBO) which has now more than 60 affiliated organizations from different sectors of professionals, youth, women and students.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim and Moro National Liberation Front ((MNLF) Chairman Datu Muslimin Sema are expected to grace the summit together with sultanates and government officials in the regions, a press statement released by LBO said.

“The primordial objective of the aforementioned event is to convene Bangsamoro Leaders to come up with a unified stand on critical issues confronting the Bangsamoro people in general, and the current peace roadmap of Duterte’s administration in particular,” the statement said.

The Bangsamoro struggle which run for decades and claimed more than two hundred thousand lives is considered as the longest revolution in the world.

Under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) the MNLF has inked peace accord with the Philippine Government in 1976 and 1996, however the state was unable to fulfil all the provisions of the said agreements.

In 1997, the MILF started to engage in peace talks with the government and concluded the peace negotiation in 2014 with the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) during the stint of President Benigno Aquino III.

CAB provides the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that will pave way for the establishment of an autonomous political with more political and fiscal powers. BBL passage is the sole obligation of the Philippine Congress which it failed to deliver before the term of Aquino ended.

The Duterte Administration mulls the passage of enabling law drawn from the CAB and the GPH-MNLF 1996 Final Peace Agreement that will ensure inclusivity of inputs from the two Moro fronts.
The enabling law will be drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission that will include representatives from the MNLF, Indigenous Peoples, and Sultanate.

Recently, the MILF conveyed its concern for the absence of an Executive Order from the President that will recast the BTC.

The summit proceedings will be aired live over DXJC 99.O Voice FM in Cotabato City. Video footages will be posted in youtube.

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Oct 29): CPP to US: Keep off issue of Scarborough!

Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
Press Release

October 29, 2016The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today told the US military and government to keep off the issue of the Scarborough Shoal even as it welcomed the peaceful settlement of the matter through friendly negotiations between the GRP President Duterte and China Premier Xi Jinping.

Until recently, Filipino fishermen had no access to the Scarborough Shoals, known to them as Bajo de Masinloc, which form part of their traditional fishing area, after a standoff between China and the Philippines in 2012 resulted in China asserting sole rights in the area.

“The CPP congratulates the governments of China and the Philippines for peacefully settling the matter of the Scarborough Shoal paving the way for the return of Filipino fishermen to their traditional fishing grounds,” said the CPP.

“The settlement of the Scarborough issue underscores what can be achieved by asserting national independence, building friendly relations with neighboring countries and opposing outside interference, especially war instigations by the US military,” said the CPP.

“The CPP anticipates further success in the peaceful settlement of other conflicting maritime claims, including those around the Kalayaan Islands, consistent with the assertions of the Filipino people,” said the CPP.

The CPP asserts that the basic premise and most urgent condition for the settlement of all conflicting claims should be the demilitarization of the South China Sea to allow all countries to make use of the sea route for international trade. The CPP demands the US military to end to all naval patrols including so-called “freedom of navigation operations” which has no other aim than provoking retaliation.

The CPP rejects the statement of the US state department that it was still “assessing” reports that China’s coast guards are no longer patrolling and preventing the entry of Filipino fishermen.

“In the first place, the US has no standing whatsoever the make any assessment in an area that is part of Philippine maritime territory,” said the CPP. “Secondly, it is US war-mongering and naval buildup in accordance with its US pivot to encircle China that is at the root of the outstanding security problems in the South China Sea.

“In light of the peaceful settlement of the Scarborough shoals, the Filipino people demands the US government to stop interfering in the matters between China and the Philippines.”

In 2012, upon instigation and with the support of the US military and state department, the puppet Aquino government sent several naval warships to confront Chinese civilian coast guard ships. This in turn prompted China to deploy its own warships leading to conflict escalation.

Since late 2011, China has been increasingly aggressive in its patrols of the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippine maritime territory as a response to the bellicose statements issued by then GRP President Aquino in May 2011. Aquino became increasingly hostile to China after being goaded by the US in a briefing conducted onboard US warship USS Carl Vinson.

From the Sun Star-Manila (Oct 29): PH, US verifying if Chinese left disputed shoal

THE Philippines and the United States are trying to verify a report that Chinese coast guard ships have left a disputed shoal, allowing Filipino fishermen back to the rich fishing area that China seized in 2012, triggering tensions in the South China Sea.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippine air force plans to conduct aerial surveillance of the shoal off the northwestern Philippines as early as Saturday to check the situation.

On Friday, Lorenzana said that the Philippine coast guard has reported that Chinese vessels have not been sighted at the disputed area for the last three days, but he added that the report has to be validated.

China took effective control of Scarborough in 2012, after a tense standoff with Philippine vessels. Since then, Chinese coast guard ships have been driving Filipino fishermen away from the area, while farther south in the Spratly Islands, China went on to construct seven man-made islands despite protests from other claimants.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was still assessing reports that Chinese boats have left Scarborough Shoal, and Filipinos have resumed fishing there.

"We hope it is certainly not a temporary measure. We would like it to be a sign that China and the Philippines are moving toward an agreement on fishing access at Scarborough that would be in accordance with the July 12 arbitral decision," Toner said.

A year after China took control of Scarborough, former President Benigno Aquino III took the issue to international arbitration. In July, a tribunal ruled that China had violated Filipinos' right to fish in their traditional fishing grounds. It also invalidated Beijing's sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea. China ignored the ruling and its coast guard continued to block Filipino fishermen from the shoal.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has attempted to improve relations with China. After visiting Beijing last week, he said without elaborating that Filipino fishermen may be able to return to Scarborough after he discussed the territorial rift with Chinese leaders.

He said he insisted in his talks with Chinese leaders that the shoal belonged to the Philippines, but that the Chinese also asserted their claim of ownership.

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 29): PHL military to keep close watch over key cities during ‘Undas’ holiday

Units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will keep a tight watch on major cities nationwide as the country observes All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2.

“In key cities around the country, Unified Commands and the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, together with their counterparts in the Philippine National Police (PNP), will employ measures to secure public facilities and other vital establishments,”AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya has said.

This is to forestall attempts by criminal and terror groups to wreck the annual ‘Undas’ holiday, he added.

“The Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy, on the other hand remain on alert and ready to augment additional troops to support the Unified Commands,” Visaya said.

As further security measure, the AFP and PNP will maximize their presence in checkpoints in critical areas.

K-9 and Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams will also be deployed to possible entry and exit points in urban centers.

From CNN Philippines (Oct 29): Four more suspects in Davao City bombing arrested

Four more suspects in the Davao City night market bombing were arrested Saturday in Cotabato City, the Philippine Army said.

The suspects are reportedly members of the Dawla Islamiya Fi Cotabato - Maute Group, the Philippine Army said in a news release. The Maute Group is composed of Islamist militants linked to terrorist organizations.

Authorities identified the suspects as:

Mohammad Lalaog Chenikandiyil also known as Datu Boi

Jackson Mangulamas Usi AKA Abu Mansor/Jam

Zack Villanueva Lopez AKA Haron

Ansan Abdulla Mamasapano AKA Abu Hamsa

Combined elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency served the warrants of arrest in two separate locations: Southern Philippine Development Authority Compound in Brgy. Tamontaka, and along Ilang-Ilang St., Brgy. Rosary HeightsVII, both in Cotabato City.

Follow-up operations made after the arrest last October 4 of three other suspects led to the discovery of the group's hideouts. They are also members of the Maute Group.

Authorities said over 12 people were involved in the September 2 Davao bombing which killed 15 people and wounded dozens.

"We will not stop until all involved in the Davao bombing incident last September are put in jail," said Lt. Gen. Eduardo M. Año, the Army commander. "The Army will continue haunting other terrorists for the protection of the public and to serve justice."

Scene in the aftermath of the Davao City Night Market explosion. AFP file photograph.

Government security forces on Saturday arrested four more persons suspected to be involved in the deadly Davao City Night Market bombing incident of September 2, 2016, an army official said Saturday, according to Philippine Army spokesman, Col. Benjamin Hao.

At least 14 people died and more than 60 others were wounded after a powerful bomb went off at the commercial enclave along Roxas Blvd., which prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a state of lawlessness.

Hao said in a statement that the four suspects were arrested by combined military and police elements, together with personnel from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) in separate law enforcement operations in Cotabato City.

Hao said that the four arrested suspects were reportedly members of the Dawla Islamiya, which is also known as the Maute Group reportedly involved in the commission of several atrocities in Mindanao.

They were arrested after government forces raided their hideouts inside the compound of the Southern Philippine Development Authority (SPDA) at Brgy. Tamontaka and along Ilang-Ilang St., in Brgy. Rosary Heights, both in Cotabato City.

He elaborated that the operation carried out by virtue of a search warrant for violation of R.A. 10951 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Act of 2013), issued by Banzawan Ibrahim, executive judge of Branch 13 of the 12th Judicial Region of Cotabato City RTC.

Hao said that the group's hideout were identified through information relayed by a so-called action agent, corroborated by follow-up operations made after the arrest last October 4 of three other suspects also involved in the bombing.

Hao said the four arrested suspects are now under the custody of the local unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Cotabato City to facilitate the carrying out of legal procedures.

Following a meeting with Australia’s foreign and defense ministers, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said Friday he had proposed that Indonesia and Australia conduct joint patrols in the eastern South China Sea in the near future to ensure safer waters.

“We have already suggested to Australia the possibility of conducting joint patrols in the eastern part of the South China Sea. We are sure that we will soon create a plan on how to realize it. They have more or less agreed,” he told reporters on Friday.

In a “working dinner” here late Thursday, Ryamizard had met with Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defense Minister Marise Payne, neither of whom were available for comment.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi had left Bali after briefly hosting the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) ministers’ meeting, following the death of her father, M. Sidik. She was replaced at the venue by the ministry’s director for Asia-Pacific and African affairs, Desra Percaya.

Desra also declined to comment when questioned.

The Sulu Sea was also discussed by the two neighboring countries as it remains of large concern to Indonesia. Indonesians have become victims of recurring abductions carried out by the Abu Sayyaf militant group and its splinter cells in the southern Philippines.

Since March 24, several Indonesians have been taken hostage by the group in four separate incidents. The Philippines and Indonesia managed to free the hostages, claiming that no ransom was paid.

Indonesia has also been trying to promote peace and stability in the South China Sea, where China, Taiwan and four ASEAN countries — the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia — have overlapping claims. Indonesia is not officially a claimant state.

China claims almost all of the energy-rich South China Sea, through which more than US$5 trillion worth of maritime trade passes each year. China insists all disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks.

Ryamizard said Indonesia had already proposed similar joint patrols with other ASEAN countries in the region, such as Vietnam and Cambodia.

“We have coordinated and established commitments on how to secure the South China Sea and at least a third of the region has been secured. We have secured the areas surrounding Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore,” he said.

“So we’ve basically secured the region without much commotion.”

Stability in the region is a priority for both countries according to their respective white papers. Australia noted in its 2016 defense white paper that a majority of its exports, consisting mostly of coal, iron ore and liquefied natural gas, goes through the South China Sea.

“Australia opposes the use of artificial structures in the South China Sea for military purposes. Australia also opposes the assertion of associated territorial claims and maritime rights which are not in accordance with international law,” the white paper states.

According to the joint press statement, the ministers reiterated their commitment to countering violent extremism and other efforts related to deradicalization.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had previously said Australia would focus on “furthering our already substantial collaboration to combat terrorism and violent extremism, enhancing maritime cooperation and working together to foster stability in the South China Sea” as she recognized Indonesia was an important security partner for Australia.

During the 16th IORA council of ministers meeting, also held on Thursday, Bishop stressed the importance of countries in the region sharing information and experience concerning terrorism.

From ABS-CBN (Oct 29): 4 new suspects in Davao blast arrested in Cotabato

Four other Davao bombing suspects, also members of the Maute group, were arrested in different parts of the province Friday evening.

The simultaneous serving of arrest warrants in Barangay RH 7 in Cotabato, and in SPDA, DOS Maguindanao resulted in the arrest of Mohammad Chenikandiyil, Zack Haron Villanueva Lopez, Jackson Mangulamas Usi, and Ausan Abdullah Mamasapano, said Jimmy Daza, regional chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (CIDG-ARMM).

Photo by Vina Araneta, ABS-CBN News

Firearms and ammunition such as a .38 caliber pistol, a grenade, mortars, and improvised explosive devices were recovered from the suspects, who were brought to the CIDG-ARMM headquarters for documentation and disposition, Daza said.

Three members of the Maute group who were linked to the blast that killed at least 14 and injured 67 others were arrested last month.

The House of Representatives, voting 256-1, approved on third and final reading House Bill 477 seeking to declare Jan. 23 of every year a special working holiday in the entire country to commemorate the declaration of the First Philippine Republic.

The approval was done prior to the congressional adjournment.

The committee on revision of laws, chaired by Rep. Marlyn L. Primicias-Agabas (6th District, Pangasinan), endorsed for plenary approval House Bill 477 authored by Rep. Jose Antonio R. Sy-Alvarado (1st District, Bulacan), who said the holiday declaration will commemorate the declaration of the First Philippine Republic on Jan. 23, 1899 at the Barasoain Church in the City of Malolos, Bulacan.

The bill is a refiled proposal that was approved on third and final reading during the 16th Congress.

The bill declares Jan. 23 of every year as "The First Philippine Republic Day" and shall be a special working holiday in the entire country.

“The significance of Jan. 23, 1899 is that the First Philippine Republic came into being as the sovereign choice of the people. It was a conscious choice to reject a dictatorial and revolutionary government and establish for all the future Filipino generations the groundwork for democracy,” said Sy-Alvarado.

As the First Republic in Asia, he said, Filipinos are proud of their strong democratic and republican ideals as a nation. He said it was on June 12, 1898 when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines free from the yoke of foreign subjugation.

“The upheaval of nationalistic fervor leading to our independence was followed with cool and calm, which was thought to make the gains for Philippine democracy and republicanism more lasting and permanent through the enactment of the first organic law for the Philippine Republic,” said Sy-Alvarado.

Hence, he said, it is of much importance that Filipinos need to commemorate Jan. 23 every year. “The beginning of Filipino democracy and self-government, indigenously concluded, magnifies the political maturity and readiness of our forefathers at the turn of that century,” said Sy-Alvarado.

The lawmaker said the beliefs and aspirations of Filipinos as a nation, united in pursuit for life, liberty and enjoyment of the benefits of their democracy, is encapsulated by the nation’s rich and noble history.

“I hope that we can give due recognition with this great feat and achievement of our forefathers in commemorating Jan. 23 as a national holiday,” he said.

The National Historical Commission (NHC), in coordination with the Department of Education, shall plan and implement activities for "The First Philippine Republic Day" and ensure that the significance of the historical event will continue to inspire and instill pride among Filipinos on the rich and noble history of the nation.